Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-04-16
THE INTERSTATE LAW.
Quick and Wise Action
Needed to Avert Disaster.
INDUSTRIES THREATENED.
The Raisin Growers Believe that
Unless the Law is Repealed
They Must Close Up.

SAACno OAO 1Ieg W 10 4lCVN 01IO
They Must Close Up.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, April l5.-The follow
ing telegram has been received by the
Interstate Commerce Commissioners
from San Francisco: "All productive
and monetary relations of this coast arc
threatened with disorder and much
loss. and nothing but quick and wise &C.
tion on your part can save our coast
from tremendous losses, sure to follow an
illiberal or narrow Interpretation of the
fourth section of the Interstate Com.
merce bill. We ask the suspens ion of
the long haal clause temporarily, at
least, until our position can be placed
before your honorable body" This
bears the signatures Of the eight princ;-
pal banking institutions of San Fran
cisco.
SAN FRANCISCO, April l5.-Followipr
is copy of . telegram that has been
sent to the Board Of Interstate Com
merce Commissioners by Wm. T. Cole
man & Co. end Castle Bros: "The rigid
enforcement of the fourth clause of the
Interstate Commerce bill will work Irre-
parable ruin 10 our vineyards. fruits and
salmon interests; will divert the ship
ment of teas from China and Japan 70
the Suez Canal route, and the coffses Of
Central America to Europe, and blight
and destroy the industries of this coast
which have involved lifetime of labor
and saving to build up. That which
was intended by Congress as . boon to
the people will prove an irreparable ca
lamity to the Pacific slope unless early
relief is granted. We earnestly crave !
prompt and liberal Interpretation of tho
bill, protecting US from the impending
disaster, otherwise inevitable"
NEW YORK, April l5.--The dispatches
from San Francisco stating that under
the provisions of the Interstate Com
merce law it would be impossible for
California raisins to compete with those
from Spain have been the subject of
much discussion in trade. TODAY q
prominent dealer in California raisins
said to your correspondents: "This thing
is shame; here we have just succeeded
in placing California rails ms successfully
in the Eastern market. We have even
nroved to buyers that we lay raisins
d wn here cheaper than foreign fruit.
We have proved the superiority in
sizes and flavor of the California saisins.
and now, when on the very verge of
what would undoubtedly have been :
successful season, we get ''facer" in
the shape of the Interstate Commerce
law. If this law holds it will simply throw
the raisin business back into the hands
Of the Spanish producers. We cannot
begin to compete with them with our.
freight rates at 70 cents per box against
their ten cent rate from Spain to New
York. We had fairly succeeded in
crowding the Malaga raisiu cut of the
New York market. Foreign brokers
are now having great laugh at our ex-
pense and have set about to secure all
the trade we have built up"
II can't believe the law will stand in
its present form," said another Cslifor-
mia merchant. "Why! it practically
shuts off California's most important
produce from the eastern market-wine,
salmon, prunes, walnuts, raisins, grapes
and oranges, and for the last named
fruit fast shipment by rail is imperative.
II the law as it stands at present lasts
the summer we might ~
well shut up shop"
WASHINGTON, April l5.-The Iuter-
state Commerce Commission to-day re-
ceived by mail petition of the Ameri.
can Refinery Company, of SAP Francisco.
1t sets forth that the immediate effect
of the fourth section, unless modified,
will entirely destroy the business of dis.
tributing the products of California
manufactures. The petitioners ask that
they be permitted to continue the old
rates. Fourteen refining establishments
of New York and Philadelphia unite in
the letter to the Commission. They un.
derstand that the Pacific railroads are
about to make an application to be re-
lieved from the operation of section
four. Before their request is granted
the retineries ask the opportunity to be
heard in opposition. 1T is alleged"
they say, "that the Pac fic railways
have been carrying sugar at $40 per ton
from San Francisco to Missouri river
points, while charging Salt Lake City
about $25 per ton upon shorter distances.
The result has been that the eastern
sugar retiners have been entirely ex-
cludsd from the markets which geo.
graphically belong to them, upon all
grades of sugar made by the San Fran
cisco refners."
WASHINGTON, April l5.-The state
ment to the effect that the Interstate
Commission had appointed secretary, ia
pronounced incorrect as is also that to
the effect that decision was reached
yesterday with respect to excursion
rates. No session was held yesterday
and no decision upon that subject has
been made.
The Interstate Commission has receiv-
ed large number of petitions from
theatrical people asking the suspension
of the law as it applies to the amuse-
ment profession and for such interpreta-
tion of the law, as will permit the
railroads to grant reduced rates as here.
tofore. The Commission has replied
that it cannot presume to determine
what the policy of the railroads shall be
in this regard. This is substantially q
declination to make q ruling upon the
subject, in advance of an actual com
plant alleging an infraction of the law
in some regards.
The kenne bee.
SAN Francisco, April l5.-The tug
Relief arrived in port last evening from
IL